Automatic distributing apparatus for liquid



Oct. 9, 1928. 1,687,007

L. H; CORNWALL ET AL AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR LIQUID Filed April 8, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR MW WLAIZMMLM BY 11% ATTORNEY Oct. 9, 1928. 1,687,007

A L. H. CORNWALL ET AL AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR LIQUID Filed April 8, 1922 2 Shgets-Sheet 2 BY W ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEON H. CORNWALL rm GEORGE, IEHILIPP 80m or Haw YORK, N, Y.

nuromn'rrc nrsrnnzo'rme APPARATUS FOR LIQUID.

Application filed April 8,

This invention relates to automatic apparatus for use in distributing or transferring liquids from one container to another.

The object of the invention is'to provide an apparatus of the nature referred to whereby the quantity of liquid to be distributed may be automatically and definitely measured.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the nature referred to in which the distribution of the liquid in predetermined quantities is automatically effected.

A further object of/the invention is to provide an apparatus of the nature referred to which is rapid, certain and accurate in operation, and simple and rugged in construction.

Other objects of ourinvention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination,location, and rel ative arrangement of parts, all as willbemore fully hereinafter set forth, asshown in the accompanying drawings, and finally point- 7 ed out in the appended claims.

. Referring to the accompanying draw- Figure 1 is a. View in side elevation, showing a distributing apparatusembodying the principles of our invention. i

Fig 2 is a front elevation of same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of Fig. 2

taken on the line Fig. 4: is a'view in vertical section, parts broken off, showing the application of the apparatus to the neck of a bottle.

In distributing liquids in predetermined quantities from one container to another, the present method,'most commonly employed in laboratories and other places where accurate and definite quantities of a liquid are required to be transferred to different receptacles, is to use an ordinarystraight piece of graduated glass tubing. Theaspiration of the liquid is performedby meansof a rubber bulb at one end of thetube, or, more frequently, because of the greater accuracy, by suction with the lips. The liquid is .then kept in the tube by placing one fingerover the open end thereof, and the fluid is delivered to the proper point by releasingthe finger. This method is slow, tedious and ordinarily inaccurate. .The use of suchan apparatus also requires the use of both of the hands of 1922 Serial No. 550,922.

the person performing the act of distribution ly aspirating and distributing definite quan tities of liquid, and whereby the aspiration and distribution is accomplished rapidly and I automatically, allowing the operator free use of the hands for manipulating the containers used to recei.vethe liquid or for other purposes. I

In 'carryingout our invention, we provide a suitable supporting stand for the apparatus comprising a base 1, made of any suitable material, size or shape, on which is mounted a vertically extending supporting rod 2, which may also be made of any suitable or desired material. Secured to the supporting rod 2, so as to have a slidable adjustment thereon, is a supporting arm 3.- The ad-' Justable securing means of the supporting arm to the supporting rod may be accom plished in any desired manner, and our invention is not to be "restricted or limited to the means shown in the drawings. For illustrat ve purposes'only the construction shown consists of a hub portion 4, at the end of the supporting arm. Said hub portion is provided witha hole therethrough which is adapted to receive the supporting rod. A hole 6 adaptedto receive a set screw 7 is also provided inthe hub portion 4., Said screw is adapted to frictionally engage the supportingrod 2 and thereby maintain the ating position with respect to the container 55 from which the liquid is to be distributed. The construction and operation of this supporting and receiving collar will be described hereinafter in connection with the distributing mechanism. I

' The distributing mechanism proper consists of a cylinder 9, having its upper portion exteriorly threaded as at. 10, and having a ring 11 adapted to movably engage with said threaded portion. V

The lowerend of said cylinder has an opening 13 therein which receives a tube 14, to

The tube 14 is provided with a screw valve 59 for regulating the air pressure communicated to said cylinder through the tube 15.

The upper end of said cylinder is open and adapted to receive a piston or plungerlti, which operates therein. Secured to said piston and operating therewith through a slot in said cylinder is a stop 17.. The said piston is closed at its lower end and may be hollow; the opening at its upper end may be closed by a removable cap 12.

The cylinder 9 is secured to a plate 18, which has a cut out portion 19 (see Fig. 2). Also secured to said plate are the rods 20 and 21. Said rods extend belowsaid plate, and at their lower extremities there are secured the clamping members 22 and 23, which comprise the clamping cheeks 27, and the set screws 28 and 29, which have a screw engagement with the rods 20 and 21. I The clamping cheeks 22 and 23 areso formed as to have a clamping engagement with the collar 8 of the supporting arm 3.

Secured to the upper end of the rods 20 and 21 is a plate 30, which has a cut out portion 31 (see Fig. 3), registering with and corresponding to the cut out portion of the plate 18. Slidably mounted on rods 20 and 21 is a plate 32, which also has a cut out portion 33 (see Fig. 2) registering with the cut out portions 19 of plate 18, and cut out portion 31 of plate 30. The movement of the plate 32 on the rods 20 and 21 in the direction ofplate 18 is prevented by means of the springs'34 and 35 interposed between the said plates 32 and 18. y

' Adiustably secured to thepiston or plunger 16 at its uppermost portion thereof, and movable therewith is a supporting arm 36. The free end of the supporting arm 36 is forked so as to receive the end of a piston 37 operatingin conjunction with a pipette member. The forked members of thearms 36 are slotted as at 39, to receive a projection or lugs 40 on the pipette piston 37. I

The pipette member may be made of any suitable or desirable material, as glass, rub ber, bakelite or the like. t consists essentially of a main stem ortube, and a substantially laterally extending branch member 42. The lower end 41 of the main stem or tube is of smaller circumference and bore than the against the narrowed passage of the enlarged bore (43 and 49) when the valve is lifted to more than its normal distance. 3

The upper end 43 of the main stem or tube of the pipette terminates in a lip portion 50, which is adapted to seat against the under surface of plate 30. The lowerfendof the upper portion of themain stem terminates in an inclined reduced portion 51. p

The cut out portions 31, 33 and 19in the plates 30,32, and 18, are of such diameter as to receive the smaller circumference of the main stem of the pipette, but are not of sufficient width to receive the u pper portion of said main stem.

It can, therefore, be seen that by engaging the lugs 40 of the piston 37 of the pipette in,

the slots 39 of the supporting arm 36, and placing the upper portion of the main stem in a position so that the lip 50 thereof engages the under surface of the plate 30, and pressing down the plate 32 against the. action of the springs 34 and 35'until the cut out portion of said plate will coincide with the smaller circumference of the main stem at 52, the pipette can be placed in a vertical operating position with respect to the rest of the apparatus.

Then by releasing the pressure .on, the plate 7 32, the upper surface thereof will be held by the tension of the springs 34 and 35, in secure engagement with the inclined surface of the reduced portion 51, thereby locking the pipette in position for use in connection with the rest of-the apparatus.

The enlarged or upper portion43 of the pipette may be marked as at 53, Fig. 2, with graduations of liquid measurement to regulate. the amount of liquid to be aspirated into the tube and discharged therefrom.

The open end of the main stem or tube of the pipette is placed in 'a container 55, which contains the liquid which isto be distributed,

and the outer or free end 57 ofthe branch member may be either placed over or into the receptacle to which the fluid is to be distributed, or a rubber tubing, as'indicated at 54 in Fig. 1, may be attached thereto and the liquid carried to the point of distribution by means of said tube. If a rubber tube is employed, a suitable supporting arm as at 58 may be mounted on the supporting rod 2 for retaining the end thereof when the appa ratus is not in operation.

are

In operation the container of the 'fluid to g be distributed is placed in position on the base or platform of the apparatus, and the supporting arm 3 is adjusted to the proper operating height on the supporting rod 2,

with respect to the container of liquid. The pipette is then placed in operating position as above described. The pipette piston 37 is then withdrawn by hand from the stemof the pipette until its lower end registers with the markings on the tube for the required amount of liquid to be aspirated and distributed. The pipette piston being attached to the cylinder piston 16, causes the piston16 to be.

withdrawn from its cylinder a distance equivalent to the piston ot' the pipette and causes the stop 1? to move upward in its slot in the cylinder 16, until it engages the ring 11; The proper distance the cylinder piston should be withdrawn to correspond with the measurement on the pipette is regulated by manipulating the ring 11 on the threaded portion 10 of the cylinder. After the proper measurement has been determined, the two pistons are released and allowed to descend to their normal position. The receptacles for receiving the liquid are then placed in position. The bulb 56 is then pressed which action produces air pressure against the lower end of the piston 16, and causes the same to-rise in the cylinder until the stop 17 engages with the ring 11. This action of the piston 16 causes the pipette piston 37 to be withdrawn from the pipette to the measurement on the stem which had previously been adjusted, and to aspirate into the upper portion of the main stem or tube, liquid from the container in the required quantity. The aspiration 01. the liquid up into the tube causes the valve 44 to be unseated, thus allowing the liquid to pass to the proper place in the pi pette above said valve. Upon releasing the pressure of the bulb 56, the pistons 16 and 37 descend by gravity, and the piston 37 forces the liquid in the tube out through the lateral branch 42, unseating the valve 45, and seating the valve 44, and thereby preventing the liquid from being expelled through the main stem through which it had been aspirated.

By alternately pressing and releasing thebulb, it can be seen that the operation of distribution of a predetermined quantity may be carried on automatically, and by utilizing the foot instead of the hand, for producing the pressure on the bulb, both hands of the operator may be free for manipulating the receptacles or other purposes. Where the weight of the liquid requires greater force to expel the same than ordinarily, the expelling action of the piston may be increased by placing weights such as lead shots in the piston 16 of the cylinder by removing the cap 12 and placing said shots in the hollow piston.

If it is desired to utilizethe distributing apparatus in work where it is desired to distribute sterile liquids from one container to another without having the contents exposed jaws 22 and 23 are clamped directly around the neck of the bottle.

Having now set forth the objects and nature of our invention, and a construction embodying the same, what we claim as new and use ful and of our own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v j

1. An apparatus for distributing liquids having in combination a liquid measuring and distributing member comprising a main stem and a substantially lateral branch stem, a piston mounted to reciprocate. in said main stem, valves controlling the opening of the main stem and the branch stem, and means to operate said piston to definite set distances, said means including a power cylinder having a regulating stop ring and a power piston operating in said power cylinder to the distances determined by the position of the stop ring.

2. An apparatus for. distributing liquids,

having in combination a measuring and discharging member comprising a main stem and a substantially lateral branch stem extending fromthe main stem, a liquid control piston mounted to reciprocate'in said main stem, valves controlling the opening of the main stem and a branch stem, a power cylinder and a power piston operating in said cylinder, said liquid control piston and power piston being positively united, a regulating device on said power cylinder, means for adjusting said device, and a limiting stop in said power pistonwhereby a predetermined quantity of liquid is dispensed and means for operating said power piston.

3. An apparatus for distributing liquids having in combination a measuring and discharging member comprising a main stem and a substantially lateral branch stem extendvmouth of a container.

I In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands on this 3rd day of April A. D. 1922.

LEON H. CORNWALL. "GEORGE PHILIPP SCHMITT. 

